By Fatou Dahaba
The organizing committee of the National Journalism Awards, organized by The Gambia Press Union (GPU), has announced that it will hold its 9th annual ceremony on December 7th, 2024. This event celebrates and honors excellence in journalism and is a highly anticipated event in The Gambia’s media industry.
The awards are crafted to inspire journalists and motivate them to strive tirelessly for excellence in their areas of expertise.
At a presser held at Bakadagi Hotel on Tuesday, the Vice President of GPU, who is also the chair of this year’s organizing committee, said the awards pay tribute to the valor and excellence displayed by Gambian journalists across a diverse spectrum of media platforms, encompassing print, online, radio, television, and photography.
She added that the 2024 awards will feature 15 distinct categories, excluding the special GPU award, in recognition of outstanding journalistic achievements.
She stated that the categories include business and finance, sports, environment, investigative, women, children, health, agriculture, tourism and culture, security, and tax reporting awards.
The chairperson announced that the other awards are not for grabs. Aside from the Journalist of the Year, the rest of the awards—including Journalist of the Year, Community Radio of the Year, Radio Station of the Year, TV Station of the Year, Online Platform of the Year, and Newspaper of the Year—will be subject to public voting.
Ms Keita revealed that the committee is in the final stages of preparing to accept applications for various categories, and entries will open from September 16th to October 16th.
“We are confirming a panel of judges of independent media experts known for their unwavering integrity. The judges will be tasked with receiving and evaluating all entries, ultimately determining the most deserving recipients of the award. In their assessment, the judges will consider accuracy and relevance, grammar, style and presentation, the story’s impact, creativity, and originality.”
To ensure impartiality and fair process, the award chairperson reassured that judges will maintain complete independence in their roles and that their decisions and evaluations will remain untouched by any external influence.
She called for continuous collaboration and support from both private and public to stage the event successfully.
The National Journalism Award is the most esteemed recognition of journalistic excellence in The Gambia. It celebrates and honors journalists’ impactful work while nurturing a culture of excellence within the profession.
